08/04/2020
Thank you for the feature !
Feature Friday: (written by Geoff Livengood)
In 1983 Marilyn and John Yin opened their first restaurant, Yen Ching in Dubuque, IA. A few years later, in 1985, the Yins were drawn to DeKalb due to the energy of the college community. On July 1, 1986 a DeKalb institution was born. Having two restaurants was "very hard to manage, especially with a young family." In time, the Yins sold the Dubuque location to an employee in order to focus on the one in their hometown of DeKalb. The Yins have raised two daughters in the community, both grew up working in the restaurant. John and Marilyn both came to the United States in their early 20s. Marilyn, originally from Taiwan, was a school teacher before she came to the US. John is from Korea, and has been a cook his entire life. John Yin has been the primary cook in the restaurant the entire time the restaurant has been open, he is also the primary cook at home. "I don't cook! John does all the cooking here and at home!" Marilyn runs the front of the house and is the primary server. "DeKalb is a great place to live, and a good town to raise kids in." Marilyn also said that she enjoys being able to easily communicate with city officials, many of which she has gotten to know over the years as frequent customers. "I love having fun with the customers!" Marilyn stated, "Many come back year after year after leaving DeKalb" Marilyn stated that Yen Ching has many regular customers who have their own special dishes. She said that sometimes customers will come in and just say, "John! Make my stuff!" She could not pin down a favorite, or most ordered dish, saying that everyone has their own favorite- many people ask for special orders, which she said they're happy to accommodate. "We have been open over 34 years!" Yen Ching has been doing primarily carry-out due to the recent quarantine, but are now happy to accommodate in restaurant dining. They have plenty of room for social distancing! Come visit Marilyn and John at Yen Ching, a DeKalb treasure, at 810 W. Lincoln Hwy, or call 815/758-2007 for carry-out and delivery. Their menu can be found online at www.yenchingweb.com
